From Arequipa, we once again took the bus through the barren highlands to Puno on Lake Titicaca. Puno itself is a poor city, but even here the center with the Plaza de Armas, which is present in all cities, has already been prepared for tourists. At Lake Titicaca, you have to make a decision: If you have a lot of time, you can visit islands that are a little off the beaten tourist track; if you don't want to spend much time there, you'll be glad to have completed the package tourist dreamboat tour after a day on the Floating Islands and Taquile Island. The group of package tourists is eagerly awaited on the floating reed islands by the colorfully dressed Uros, who wave and, after a detailed introduction to the construction of a reed island, are immediately encouraged to buy the local products.
PERU
You soon get the impression that the Uros are probably only decorating their lives on their reed islands for the sake of the tourists. Once you have bought your souvenir, you can continue on to Taquile Island (we had to swim). The two-hour drive was used intensively by our guide to ensure that even the last tourist can say "hello" and "thank you" in Quechua ("and now everyone together"). The average standard tourist is driven through the island's paths like a herd of wild horses (don't stop, straight ahead, no pictures, we don't have time...) and tasted directly by a local family, who are of course already wearing their photo outfits. Along the way, the locals perform the harvest dance "with full commitment" and of course one or two tourists are even allowed to dance along (except for the two of us, only those willing to dance...). For some, this is probably the highlight of the vacation.
But the wonderful view over the lake and the island's beautiful landscape is more than enough to make up for it. After the last tourist had filmed our arrival at the port, we were happy to make our way to Cusco.
More than just a starting point for Machu Picchu
Cusco is a very beautiful and clean small town, with many old colonial buildings with their typical wooden balconies, where you should definitely spend a day or two. You can also visit many ancient Inca ruins in the immediate vicinity of Cusco. Unfortunately, we set off the very next day by cab to Ollanta, from where the backpacker train (at 34 dollars / one way still the cheapest way to get there) to Machu Picchu departs. Important: book your train tickets early with Perurail!
We deliberately decided against the Inca Trail, as you are no longer allowed to go on it without a guide, you have to book months in advance and the cost is up to 500 dollars. The backpacker trail ends in Aguas Calientes, a nice little village at the foot of Machu Picchu in tropical surroundings. Souvenir stores and restaurants are lined up here, but we were spared the crowds of tourists, as many people probably stayed at home this year due to the cold and flooding reports.
Ratrace or tourist bus?
Those who want to go to Machu Picchu often also want to climb Waynapicchu to take one of the legendary photos of the entire Inca complex. However, since Unesco has limited the number of visitors to Waynapicchu to 400 (200 at 7 a.m., 200 at 10 a.m.), there is a race for the 400 coveted stamps. If you think you are on the safe side when you get up at 3 a.m., you are mistaken. Both the buses, which start at 5.30 am, and the footpath bridge, which opens between 4.30 and 5 am, have long queues at this time. We opted for the march option and at 4.40 a.m. we took part in the classic "rat race" for the stamps with a horde of wild headlamp wearers and even arrived well before the first bus and collapsed fellow competitors - stamps secured!!! The site looks mysterious and impressive at dawn - and not just because of its immense size. However, we had to hurry to start our ascent up Waynapicchu at around 7am. After climbing countless steps, we reached the summit only to find that, apart from the fog, we couldn't see anything at all, let alone get a photo. However, we already knew that success lies in tranquillity, as the fog at Machu Picchu usually disappears after all.
Two hours later, we were rewarded with a perfect view. We then explored the site on our own with the relevant literature. Even if Machu Picchu will certainly never be a lonely place, its architectural masterpiece, history and mysticism make it a fascinating place that absolutely must be visited.
